Escape to Grand Lake

As the temperatures in Denver rise, escaping to the mountains for a weekend getaway sounds more and more appealing. This weekend, my familiy and I are headed up to Grand Lake, Colorado. My dad built a cabin up there when he was 25 by bribing his friends with steak dinners and cold beer in return for some hard labor on the house. I grew up at the cabin and see it as my home, so I love those weekends we can drive through Rocky Mountain National Park, sit out on the patio sippin’ lemonade, and enjoy the cooler temperatures and beautiful views.

So, on this blazing hot Friday, I thought I’d bring you a little taste of the mountains, and suggest a few bags to bring with you if you are planning a mountain getaway soon.

First is this cross-body bag from The Sak, shown at right. I love the cross-body style because it is easy to carry and it keeps all your essential belongings from car keys to your wallet to sunscreen and chapstick all within reach. This bag is a great size and I love this colorful pattern. I would use this bag when walking around the town because it’s easy to take along anywhere you go.

This weekend, I’m planning on going hiking with my mom. We love the short but scenic hike to Adams Falls (you should definitely go if you are ever in Grand Lake), but we also love doing day-long hikes up longer trails. Although my mom and I usually pack an old dusty backpack with a waterbottle and some trail mix, a hiking pack would definitely be helpful.

We offer a variety of hiking backpacks for long trips and hydration packs which feature a reservoir of water. My favorite is the CamelBak Octane. This lightweight pack is large enough to fit a sweatshirt or rain jacket, a few snacks, some sunscreen, and of course, plenty of water.

If you’re not a hiker, maybe you’d like to enjoy the summer sunshine out on the lake. My family loves to take the boat out to these small islands on Shadow Mountain Lake, bring some burgers and hot dogs for the grill, and relax in the shade of the trees. Now, for this kind of adventure, you need a cooler. And, surprisingly, a cooler counts as a bag, which means eBags has them. We carry many rolling coolers and softsided coolers, even picnic baskets for all your summer picnic needs. Specifically, I’d like to highlight the Polar Bear line of coolers. This cooler will keep ice in 100 degree weather for 24 hours! Unbelievable. This cooler is perfect for our day trips out on the boat.

Of course, we have many more bags that might be useful, including duffel bags, hunting and fishing gear, and even Dry Pak brand cases to keep your cell phones, GPS devices, and cameras from getting water damage. I hope these great eBags products can help you enjoy these great summer weekends to come.